Vienna
by beMMADfabulous
Summary: My first C&J story. Clarisse invites Joseph to travel to Vienna with her for a diplomatic trip, but it is as if this isn't the right time for them. Bad summary, but please R&R anyway.


**A/N: This is the most afraid I've been to post a fic since my first one ever! I guess that comes with the territory, though, when you venture into writing a new type of fanfiction. This is my first C&J story ever, and I hope you like it, because I'm nervous to post it. haha. And yes, this is just intended to be a oneshot.**

**Disclaimer: This fic is based on the song "Vienna" by Linda Eder. I don't own the song or the Princess Diaries series, obviously.**

**FanFiction 100 Challenge Prompt #: 007- Days**

**Vienna**

The rain fell in heavy sheets against the streets of Vienna, dampening any high hopes of the sun shining that day. Joseph was never one to despise the rain, but today was a different story. Every drop that crashed against the fogged windows of the limousine in which he sat waiting on the Queen to finish her final meeting with the governor seemed to be some form of mockery sent by nature itself to wash away any remaining happiness that Joseph could have possibly still held onto from their time in the beautiful city.

Clarisse had asked Joseph to accompany her on her diplomatic trip to Vienna as a friend rather than as her Head of Security. Secretly, Joseph's heart had leapt at any chance to be with Clarisse at all, let alone as her friend.

He should have known better.

Clarisse and Joseph had spent their first few days in Vienna watching, smelling, tasting, and feeling the very elegance of the city from a small but exquisite café in the middle of the city. There had been moments there when Joseph had felt Clarisse's eyes upon him, and he had turned to her just in time to find her watching him with a delicate smile on her face before she, with a glowing pink blush forming upon her cheeks, had turned away from him. He had wanted to take her into his arms in those moments and whisper his sweet confessions to her, but he had resisted.

Before Clarisse's meetings with the governor had begun, she and Joseph had spent every evening together, often finding themselves wondering where the time had gone as they watched the sunrise together in the mornings. It was there on Clarisse's balcony one morning as they were watching the dawn chase the night away that they had almost given love a chance. Clarisse had smiled back at Joseph when he had placed his hand into hers and kissed her skin softly. Before Joseph had realized what was happening, Clarisse's mouth had covered his in a passionate yet smooth kiss. He pulled her closer to him then, whispering his love for her into her ear. She had confessed her love for him as well, but that was where they had stopped. In that very moment, it was as if the spinning of the earth had stopped right along with them.

Clarisse's meetings had begun the next day, and there was suddenly no more time left for the two of them to spend together. Joseph could not help but to feel that she was pushing him away from her. In the time they did spend together as he was driving her from meeting to meeting, they might as well have been strangers. There were no more longing glances between the two of them, no more passionate kisses or embraces, and no more secrets being shared. Joseph took Clarisse's hand only to help her into and out of the limousine, and she spoke to him as if nothing had ever happened between the two of them. Joseph had scared her, he knew, but he could see that she had scared herself even more simply because she had momentarily wanted something to happen between them.

The rain had still not subsided when Joseph noticed Clarisse walking towards the limousine. He could not see her face, as her umbrella was tilted slightly forward against the wind blowing towards her. Joseph got out of the car and opened the door for her without either of them saying a word as he helped her inside. He closed the door behind her and got in the driver's seat. He glanced back at Clarisse through the rearview mirror, watching her as she stared expressionless out the rain-soaked window.

"Joseph," she said barely audibly, her gaze never leaving the window.

"Yes, your Majesty?"

He saw her grimace, and he knew it was because he had neglected to address her by her first name, as she had insisted so many times before. Clarisse had known his intentions for not calling her by her name; this was his way of showing that he could maintain the formalities between them because she had been pushing him away. Joseph saw the pain in her eyes as they made contact with his in the rearview mirror. She made a noise that sounded somewhat like a sigh.

"Thank you for being here with me during this trip," she said.

"My pleasure," he replied weakly.

Clarisse fell silent once more as they came closer to the airport, and Joseph felt his heart sink as a single tear ran down her cheek. He took a deep breath, knowing that no matter what had or hadn't happened between her and him there in Vienna, he had had the best time of his life simply because he had been able to be there with the woman he loved more than anything else in the world.

"Someday, my dear Joseph… Someday…" he thought he heard her murmur as he stepped outside the car at the airport, but then again, he couldn't be entirely sure because it just might have been the sound of the rain playing tricks on him.

**THE END**

**A/N: Did you hate it or like it or what? Please let me know! Should I go hide now or what?**


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